widowhood was drawing to a close, and she had resolved at length to remove
from the retreat in which she had been so long hidden from mankind. Her
youthful spirits had rebounded--were once more buoyant--solitude had done
its work--the physician was no longer needed. That she might gradually
approach the busy world again, she proposed to visit, for a time, a small
and pretty town, well known to her, on the eastern coast. The day was
fixed for her removal, and, just one week before, she invited Mr Allcraft
senior to a farewell dinner. She had not thought it necessary to include
in the invitation the younger gentleman, whom she had never seen, albeit
his father's constant and unlimited encomiums had made the _woman_ less
unwilling to receive than to invite the youth, in whom the graces and the
virtues of humanity were said to have their residence. And Allcraft was
aware of this too. For his head he would not have incurred the risk of
giving her offence. With half an eye he saw the danger was not worth the
speaking of. When I say that Michael never eat less food at a meal in his
life--never talked more volubly or better--never had been so thoroughly
entranced and happy--so lost to every thing but the consciousness of _her_
presence, of the hot blood tingling in his cheek--of the mad delight that
had leapt into his eyes and sparkled there, it will scarcely be requisite
to describe more particularly the effect of this precious dinner party
upon _him_. As for the lady, she would not have been woman had she failed
to admire the generous sentiments--the witty repartees--the brilliant
passages with which the young man's taste and memory enabled him to
entertain and charm his lovely hostess. As for his handsome face and manly
bearing--but, as we have said already, these have their price and value
always. Allcraft senior had the remarkable faculty of observing every
thing either with or without the assistance of his eyes. During the whole
of dinner he did not once withdraw his devil's vision from his plate, and
yet he knew more of what was going on above it than both the individuals
together, whose eyes it seemed had nothing better to do than just to take